Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
27-3092.00
Updated 2025

Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.

Sample of reported job titles: Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR), Court Monitor, Court Recording Monitor, Court Reporter, Court Stenographer, Deposition Reporter, Digital Court Reporter, Official Court Reporter, Realtime Court Reporter, Stenographer

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

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Technology Skills

  • Data base user interface and query software — Acclaim Legal Acclaim DepoManage; Chase Software Solutions Court Reporting Software; Courtpages; OMTI ReporterBase
  • Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook In-Demand Hot technology
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Acculaw Court Reporters Billing Scheduling Job Management System ABSMS; ReporterWorks
  • Internet browser software — Web browser software
  • Office suite software — Corel WordPerfect Office Suite; Microsoft Office software In-Demand Hot technology
  • Presentation software — ForTheRecord TheRecord Player
  • Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel In-Demand Hot technology
  • Time accounting software — Equative TimeLedger
  • Voice recognition software — Courtroom Data Solutions Techlennium; Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking
  • Word processing software — Advantage Software Total Eclipse; AudioScribe SpeechCAT; Microsoft Word In-Demand Hot technology ; VocEdit; 8 more
Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In demand
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 96% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 91% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 83% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams — 92% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 79% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • E-Mail — 68% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — 68% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Time Pressure — 69% responded “Every day.”
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals — 63% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General — 53% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 35% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 62% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 17% responded “Not important at all.”
  • Written Letters and Memos — 48% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
  • Physical Proximity — 58% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
  • Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People — 25% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 35% responded “Minor results.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities — 28% responded “Not important at all.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
SVP Range
(6.0 to < 7.0)

Training & Credentials

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Certifications
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Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge

  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Administrative — Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Communications and Media — Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 75%
     
    Post-secondary certificate required
  • 12%
     
    Associate’s degree required
  • 5%
     
    High school diploma or equivalent required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed — The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Interests

Interest code: C
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  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Work Styles

  • Self-Control — A tendency to remain calm and composed and to manage emotions effectively in response to criticism or difficult situations at work.
  • Cautiousness — A tendency to be careful, deliberate, and risk-avoidant when making work-related decisions or doing work.
  • Integrity — A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
  • Attention to Detail — A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
  • Dependability — A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2024)
$32.36 hourly, $67,310 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2024)
17,700 employees
Projected growth (2024-2034)
Little or no change
Projected job openings (2024-2034)
1,700
State trends
Top industries (2024)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 wage data and 2024-2034 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2024-2034). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

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More Information

Professional Associations

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